Impractical Magic: Something Wicked This Way Comes
by lwbush
Summary: Story six in the series. Joxer is wanted, but not in the way he'd like to be.


Something Wicked This Way Comes

Story Six in the Impractical Magic Series

By Lori Bush

Disclaimer: _Xena: Warrior Princess_, Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer, and all other characters who have appeared in either series, together with the names, titles and backstories are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. Certain themes and details in this series are borrowed from Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series of books. The characters of Milt, Hellena, Porticullis, and Mother Wigglewort were created by the author for use in this fiction, as was the concept of Them.

Violence: No 

Sex: Nope. 

Rating: Probably PG-13. There are some adult concepts, more in other stories that this one. I'll just say that to remain consistent. 

Notes: This is story number six in the (Energizer - "it just keeps going, and going...") series, the first being "The Gift That Keeps On Giving", and the second "Ooops, I Did It Again..." - followed by "Spelling Lessons" and "Every Witch Way" and "School Daze". 

This wraps the cliff-hanger, but there's a lot more to go. As I may have mentioned before, there are so far TWELVE stories in this series, and there are more tales yet to tell. I owe Rebecca Littlehales an enormous debt for this completed work, as she found time around her own personal things to get it beta'd and tweaked to readiness. She's a saint, really. And I appreciate each and every one of you who have given me so much encouragement on this series. It's already fun to write, but your comments make it even more so. Thanks. 

* * *

He was weak. It had made him the perfect target. He had enough power to use, but not enough to fight Them. And he was close to the one They really wanted. A perfect vessel. All They needed now was the other half, and he would be complete. And she would be even easier to get. Then They would be able to reach the Right One through his weakness, and then They could take what They wanted. They wanted it all. 

* * *

Graduation. Gabrielle never thought that one-on-one witches' training would end with a graduation ceremony. She wanted desperately for Joxer to be there, but he had been staying away from them for some time now, and she didn't know what to do about it. Hellena had implied that she was getting to know the wizard better, but Gabrielle couldn't really believe that. He wouldn't set foot outside the Academy without coming to see her and Xena. 

He hadn't even sent the idiotic rat with a message in ages. And she had no way of contacting him, either. She hadn't really seen or talked to him since that night she'd accidentally gotten drunk and he'd had to carry her upstairs. The bard wondered if she'd said something stupid that night that had made him mad at her. She didn't know, because he wasn't around to ask. She couldn't even get excited about her graduation, because this was worrying her night and day. 

Xena had worn that serious scowl of hers, and tried to get Gabrielle to talk or write about what was bothering her. Mother Wigglewort tried to distract her pupil with promises of big surprises for her at graduation time. The blonde bard made a valiant effort to respond to both her friend and her tutor, but that nagging concern about the distant wizard just never went away. 

And now the big night was here. The new witch had to admit she was a little excited. But it would be so much better if she could share it with Joxer. 

* * *

"Look, Joxer. I found these gorgeous daisies on the far side of the courtyard behind the stone bench. I think Hellena might really like them. Would you take them to her for me later?" Milt simply glowed with excitement at the thought of giving something more to his lovely witch. Ever since he first saw his roommate's ability to exit their virtual prison, he'd taken advantage of it. He had been sorely disappointed when he discovered that Joxer's power to move the door and pass through it seemed limited to Joxer himself. The 'opening', or whatever it was, closed securely the minute the Greek passed through it, and trying to put Milt through first had failed as well. So Joxer had been a go-between, acting as Cupid's messenger for the head-over-heels young man that he roomed with. Milt had managed to see her again once, briefly, when he was tapped to help receive a delivery, and she had been outside. She had even waved at him. He'd asked Joxer if he'd seen it, since he was nearby at the time. 

Joxer looked up from his studies. Daisies. Gabrielle loved daisies. He took his feelings out, turned them over, examined once again the pain of the memory of his last meeting with his beautiful bard, poked at it just to feel the sting, and then shut them down again. "Sure." 

"Jox, what has been wrong with you lately? If you bother to talk at all, it's in words of one syllable. You're pale as a ghost, and I heard Old Bear say he was going to go get Mother Wigglewort to look at you soon if you didn't start asking questions again." Milt cared about his roommate. That was the reason he'd agreed when those voices had asked him to help. They said if he would just look at Them, They could help Joxer. Milt had never had a friend like Joxer before. He hadn't even heard from Them since. 

Mother Wigglewort. Joxer sighed. Why did Milt have to mention Mother Wigglewort? She was close to Xena and Gabby. How come he couldn't get away from thinking about them, even here behind the closed doors of the Academy? The only joy he had, and that was small, was in acting as Milt's messenger boy. It so thrilled the young man, and Hellena was actually starting to smile when she saw him coming. He could at least offer to help them to have the things he never would. 

Never was an awful long time. 

* * *

_Girl?_

Hellena spun around in a circle. No one stood near her, and certainly no one had been whispering in her ear. 

_You like power, don't you girl?_ A chorus of voices hissed inside her head. She was apprehensive. _We like that about you, girl. We can give you power. We can even give you that wizard you want. After We finish with him._ They didn't bother to add _what's left of him._ She'd be lucky if she lived till They were done, anyway. _Just help Us get him..._

Hellena hesitated. They wanted Joxer. So did she. Perhaps they could work together. But she'd have to see what they had to offer. "He can give me power without you." 

**_Ah, but We can give you more... Just look at Us. Look..._**

* * *

"And now, you stand here, ready to go share your witchcraft with the world. Remember that witches are healers, and as such, are sworn to do good and not harm with the power they have..." 

Gabrielle did her best to listen, as Mother Wigglewort's speech went on and on. She wasn't sure what graduation meant in other types of training, having never attended or taken part in one, but apparently in witchcraft it meant a time for the trainer to say everything she had ever wanted to in her entire, extremely long, life. To be fair, the new witches' mind hadn't been all here for a while anyway. For all she knew, this might have been fascinating, if it hadn't been for Joxer and his conspicuous absence. 

The bard looked down at herself. The new black dress Mother W had made for her was indeed lovely - fitted at the bodice and sweeping out in a full skirt. Fine for doing witch things in, totally impractical for fighting. Particularly when worn with the tall conical hat that she had on. And Gabrielle had decided that she needed to get back to fighting - back to her old life in Greece. As soon as all this was over, she would talk to Xena, maybe they could pull Joxer out of the Academy, and they could all go home. She rarely saw her family when in Greece, and neither Xena nor Joxer spent much time with theirs, either, but at least the option was available when they were there. They had been away too long. 

"And lastly," Gabrielle sighed in relief at those words, "comes the broomstick ceremony." The new witch looked at Xena with a questioning expression, and the Warrior Princess just shrugged. 

"Normally," Mother W explained, coming beside Gabrielle, "the new witch is given her own broomstick and her first flying lesson at this point. However, since you are a bit different than my usual trainees, I decided that a broomstick didn't suit you." The bard wasn't sure if she was disappointed at this news or not. She had gathered that a broomstick was pretty much a witch requirement, even though many kept it locked away in a closet most of the time. She supposed it was a bad thing for a witch not to have one, although she really didn't want one much. It would be hard to pack and carry on the trail, for one thing. The trainer continued. "Instead, I want to give you a far more useful tool, and one you are already quite familiar with." The older witch reached out, taking the Amazon Staff from the new graduate. She held it up at eye level and spoke some words in the Mysterious Tongue, a language Gabrielle had thought the exclusive domain of wizards. The staff shivered a bit, then rose to levitate above the old woman's palms. She plucked it from the air and handed it back to its owner. 

"Now, you may take your first ride." Gabrielle stared at the witch in dumb amazement. She could ride her staff? Mother W seemed amused by the look on her face. "It's not exactly alive," she explained, "not like J..." The trainer caught herself, seeing the hurt look on the younger woman's face at even the anticipation of hearing his name, "Uh, the other staff. That one's a lot different. More like a trained hunting dog, able to think for itself. This one is more like a dumb pack animal, willing to help but unable to do much without direction. Now, go ahead. Sit on it." 

The young witch sat gingerly sidesaddle on the staff as it floated above the ground at the right level. "Now pick up your feet." Gabrielle did so obediently, then yelped as the staff rose just a bit higher. "Go on, take a spin about town, if you like. Just not too high. It takes some getting used to." 

The staff with Gabrielle on board passed through the gate and out onto the street. Xena could hear her friend mumbling directions to it in an apprehensive tone. "I thought broomstick riding wasn't going to be one of her abilities?" the Warrior woman questioned the old witch. 

"Oh, all witches are able, if they have the blood. It's just not all are talented at it." 

"Hey," they heard the bard holler from outside the yard, "SLOW DOWN!" 

The old woman shrugged. "See?" 

* * *

Joxer waved the solid matter of the door aside like a curtain and stepped outside. Hellena was waiting, and he presented the daisies. "Milt says..." 

"Oh, Joxer, what beautiful flowers! Thank you!" The dark girl threw her arms around Joxer's neck and pressed her body against him. His robe, whipped by the wind, surrounded her, making it momentarily appear they were both wearing the same thing. 

He pushed her gently back. "They're from Milt, Hellena." 

"Oh," she got a vacant look in her eyes, "I know." Something reared its ugly head in those vacant eyes, and she began to pull at Joxer's sleeve. "You know, I wish I could see him. Maybe you could just make that silly old retaining spell go away. I bet you could." 

Her wheedling tone was lost on Joxer, but her words weren't. He'd been thinking of that himself for a while now. He knew now that he had powers even those in charge of the Academy didn't understand. If he hadn't been so miserable lately, he'd have been pushing the limits every chance he could, just to see how far he could go. But after his run-in with Gabrielle, he'd buried himself in his books and become the model student, memorizing every spell and obeying every Rule. His only nudge at the lines that held the other novices in was the occasional trip outside the walls to see Hellena. He did that for Milt. 

He looked at the witch, not really seeing her. "Of course, I could." For Milt - who wanted to see his ladylove so desperately. He was on the other side of the wall right now, waiting for Joxer to return with some word, some token of her affection. Joxer understood love like that all too well. If the wall just went away... 

A familiar scream behind him drew his attention before he could formulate the thought that would activate the spell. Turning, he looked towards the sound, finally casting his gaze upwards to see, of all things, Gabby! Wearing a black dress and riding what looked like her staff, she just barely cleared the overhanging limb of a huge oak tree. He heard her curse in Greek, then she turned the staff and headed back in the direction from which she had come, barely clinging to her strange mount as she hollered directions to it with all her might. 

Joxer started after her, but a strong hand gripped his arm. "Joxer?" Hellena purred, "The wall?" 

He shook himself. He'd never catch up with her on foot, not while she was - doing whatever it was she was doing. "Sure," he answered absently, flicking his hand at the structure and telling it to go away. The age-old stones melted into nothingness like butter on a hot day. "There." 

"Good." Hellena's purr had changed into a growl, and she had a death grip on Joxer's arm. Suddenly her other hand flashed out and a knife blade nicked Joxer's neck. 

He slapped at the sting. "Ouch." Joxer stared at the blood on his hand, and then at the girl at his side. "Whaja do that for?" 

Milt seemed to appear from nowhere. "We can't control your magic, so this poison will keep you confused long enough for Us to set everything up." The young wizard's voice sounded like many voices, all talking in unison. Joxer's head felt funny - like someone had wrapped it in thick cloth. He moved his head to the side, and it felt as if it went a little piece at a time. 

All around him, Joxer was aware of people running and shouting and pointing at where the walls used to be. Magruder approached him. "Joxer, did you do this? You're the only one who could." The redheaded professor seemed oblivious to the woman holding the young wizard's arm. "Put it back." 

Hellena growled in that one-many voice, "We need the wall gone, wizard. We have uses for your kind. Look at Us." 

They only came once a generation, and a wizard's generation was a long one. It had been hundreds of years since They had been around last. Still, Magruder's mother had warned him about Them. He knew not to look in those eyes. He ran. 

* * *

Xena had groomed Argo and polished her sword, and still Gabrielle hadn't returned. Her sword had never been shinier. It had been ages since she'd last used it. Monitoring the bard as she learned about magic and running around collecting herbs and hair of this and scales of that for the potions had kept her occupied as well. Still, Xena had seen precious little action for quite some time, and she was about ready to. Little did she know... 

The tall red headed man almost knocked the Warrior Princess on her tail, and she didn't appreciate it. She pulled her recently sharpened sword, ready to finally use it, when he hollered to the cottage, "MUM!" 

Mother W scuttled out. "Mac! What are..." 

"They're here, Mum. Them." 

The witches' eyes grew wide. "Them..." 

Xena was getting irritated. She needed more than a pronoun. "Who?" 

The redhead ignored her. "They want Joxer." 

Now Xena was upset and irritated. One of her best friends was involved somehow with something that disturbed these two people, and the warrior didn't have a clue what, or what to do about it. Just then, the sound of grumbling and stomping came from outside the yard. "... gonna walk from now on, thank you very much." The bard looked up from the staff she was scolding to see the three shell-shocked faces before her. Her long blonde hair was every which way, and there was a ring of dust around the hem of her new black dress. Her conical hat was no longer tall, but compressed and tucked under her arm. "What's going on?" 

"Joxer's in trouble, Gabrielle." Xena had distilled that much information out of the earlier exchange. 

"How?" 

Xena glared at the other two. "I don't _know_ yet." 

Mother Wigglewort saw anger on one woman's face and fear on the other. "They're the reason that magic is a force for good. They were banished from here many generations ago. They are known by various names in various places - evil spirits, black magic - but we've always known Them as just Them." 

Magruder picked up the tale. "They arrive once a generation - a wizard generation - trying to find a vessel to allow them back into this world. None they have chosen so far have been strong enough." He saw a lack of understanding on the two faces. "Their vessels have all died." 

"Because of who They are, They can't use those who don't have the mage's blood. But They can take their souls. Those with the blood, They can use their souls, and twist ?em to do Their bidding." Mother Wigglewort looked at the tall man before her, seeming truly aware of him for the first time. "How on earth did you get here?" 

"Joxer, Mum. He took down the walls before they grabbed him." 

"Does your father know, boy?" 

The nearly century old professor hung his head in shame like a schoolboy caught stealing candy. "No, Mum. I came right here." 

Mother W rolled her eyes. "And you were right there and all. Go tell him. He may not be much of a father, but he'll listen to you about something like this, and he might know what to do. Go!" 

The tall professor scurried off obediently at the wave of a hand. Mother Wigglewort smiled proudly. "Always been such a good, cooperative boy." 

Gabrielle scrunched her face in thought, mumbling. "Mum? Good boy?" Light dawned in her eyes, and she stared at her trainer. "He's your son?!" 

The old witch smiled sadly. "Best mistake I ever made." 

The Warrior Princess appeared to be working the rest of the exchange through her mind. "'Does your father know. You were right there.' His father must be -" 

"Why do you think I'm concerned about those young girls who hang around outside the Academy? He didn't have the sense to stay away from me, how can he figure out how to keep those boys away from them? Some of them are pretty clever. I sort of made myself guardian over the witches in waiting, and all the young wizards know they have to come to me to ask permission to court any of ?em. Just because Mac was a good thing doesn't mean raising him alone was. Don't want to see it happen again, if I can help it be avoided." 

Gabrielle's face had grown blanker the longer Mother W talked. The conversation had skipped a step she needed in there, and while Xena knew exactly what was going on, the bard was clueless. She threw her best friend a questioning look. 

"Porticullis, Gabrielle. His father is 'Old Port'." 

Gabrielle's blank look failed to go away. She couldn't comprehend the stuffy old wizard who had seemed almost terrified by her and Xena just due to their femaleness fathering a child out of wedlock with the well-padded woman before her. Some things even a bard's imagination couldn't wrap itself around. 

The old woman's anxious tone shook her from her stupor. "The boys are going to need our help at the Academy. We'd better go." Xena in the lead, the three women ran from the yard, the oldest one already puffing slightly as she cleared the gate. Just as quickly, the old witch dashed back in, grabbed a broom from a niche in the wall, and hopping astride it, flew to catch up with the other two. 

* * *

Joxer's head swung incredibly slowly from side to side as he viewed the battle zone around him. A few of his classmates were in heaps on the ground, having had too little magic blood or been too resistant to be of use to Them. Others, along with several professors and a couple of the young witches, were wearing expressions that hinted of a vacancy within them. Their eyes swirled oddly. Through intense effort, Joxer had been able to pay enough attention to notice how Milt or Hellena stared into the eyes of their victim before they changed, and he struggled to understand what was going on. He had to clear his mind. He had tried a spell from his texts for clarity of thought, but it wasn't strong enough to manage poison-induced confusion. Of course, he wasn't totally sure he'd remembered it correctly anyway. 

He almost gave up. He had little to live for, he supposed, if they wanted him dead. He knew that if he could just think straight, he'd be able to figure out why, if they did want him dead, they hadn't already killed him. Of course, nothing quite made sense in his current state, so the puzzle wasn't bothering him that much. 

Then Xena burst onto the scene, followed by Gabrielle and an old woman on what appeared to be a broomstick. Had he seen Gabrielle in that black dress earlier? She looked nice in black. He smiled faintly, before remembering that Gabby wanted him to marry someone else so she could get rid of him. It was even more of an effort than before to care, after he recalled that. 

Xena threw her chakram, and Joxer's eyes followed, although he couldn't turn his head fast enough to see where it went after it bounced off the corner of the Assembly Hall. Movement to his left drew his gaze, and two wizards and one witch fell. So that's where that thing went. He saw Gabby swinging her staff at another of his classmates, finally connecting solidly and taking him down. She was so beautiful when she fought. 

Staff? Where was his staff? He went to reach out in front of himself to call it, and realized his hands were tied to something behind his back. He remembered them doing that, didn't he? Tying him to - his staff. Darn. 

Gabrielle caught sight of Joxer, trussed up like a Solstice Turkey on the other side of the yard. He looked more dazed and confused than he usually did, and she had a feeling they had done something to him to be able to keep him immobile like that. She saw the redheaded wizard and his father join Mother W, and the three of them made a small ring, their backs to one another, obviously planning on combining their magic powers to defend themselves. She saw Porticullis frown at an encroaching student, and then the other two touched him as he pronounced a spell, and the attacker crumpled to the ground as a strange dark sort of light flew from his eyes and towards Milt. 

She had to free Joxer. If they could do that, then his magic should be strong enough to help, too. She ran to him. 

"Gahhbeee," he said, as if he were trying out the word for the first time. "Druhgged mhee." 

She could see how much effort he was putting into forming the words from the beads of sweat that popped out on his forehead. Despairingly, Gabrielle wondered if he could possibly be of any help in his condition. But she had to untie him and see. 

The bard moved wordlessly behind the young wizard and began toiling at the knot that bound him to his staff. Noting an inexplicable difficulty with the knot, she recognized a small binding spell Mother W had taught her. She spoke the words to remove it and it fell away, allowing her to make quick work of the ties. She could swear the staff looked at her in gratitude as it pulled free. 

Stepping back in front of her friend, she grabbed him by the arms and shook him. "Joxer, we need your help. Snap out of it." 

His brow creased and frustration painted his features. Moving his arm woodenly, he pointed to a wound on his neck. "Poiishun," he slurred by way of explanation. 

She slapped him gently on the cheek, then a bit harder. "You have to shake it off. We need you!" His staff began to tap his other cheek in a similar fashion. Gabrielle's staff, which had been tossed aside in her earlier efforts, rose and bonked the wizard solidly over the head. The bard grabbed it in fury. "NO!" she screamed, "We're trying to bring him back to his senses, not knock them out of him!" 

Joxer's eyes crossed, but he remained upright. The Amazon staff pulled away sheepishly. "Stupid piece of wood," Gabrielle muttered as she stroked the rising bump on Joxer's skull. His staff glared at her, and she glared right back. 

"Gahbee," Joxer tried, "I don' whanna marree sum ol' whi-whi-whitch. Cand I jus' bee wif yoou and Zhena even if yoou don' wan' meee?" He vaguely realized that the poison must have been wearing off for him to manage such a lengthy soliloquy. 

She frowned. "I have no idea what you just said, Joxer. Now try again, focus!" She rubbed his arms, slapped him lightly again, and kept encouraging him. The hands that pulled her away from him seemed to come from nowhere. 

"Leave him alone, he's Ours!" The face belonged to Hellena, but the evil expression did not, nor did the chorus of voices that issued from her lips. 

"Nooooo!" Joxer screamed, and almost without conscious thought, he ordered the poison out of his system. Immediately, his head was clear. "Gabby, don't look her in the eyes!" he ordered. A strong spell flew in from behind him, and in one move he turned and warded it off with his own magic. 

"You can't save her unless you give yourself to Us," the many voices hissed from his roommate's mouth. "It's you We want, and you can rule with Us." Joxer saw the poisoned dagger in Milt's hand. Pointing at it, he concentrated and it melted away. "He is good!" the chorale crowed, "We will rule well with this one!" 

"Not - likely," Joxer grunted as he swung his staff at Miller, who ducked easily away. The Greek wizard tossed out a spell that held the younger man still for a moment, then belted him solidly. The body that held Them stumbled backwards a couple of steps, then cast another spell Joxer's direction. With some difficulty he shielded himself and swung, missing again. 

All over the courtyard, They were leaving Their temporary hosts and joining Their companions inside Milt, who grew stronger with each addition. Joxer could feel himself wearying. Only They that held Hellena finally remained outside Milt. Joxer realized he could lose, and decided drastic measures were in order. Grabbing his roommate by the shoulders, Joxer stared into his eyes. 

Once They had left the bodies that had been fighting, Xena and the rest found themselves facing confused but harmless people who were of no threat. Not aware of the drama across the courtyard, they comforted and tended to the people they had just finished fighting. Magruder was the first to notice what was happening. "No, Joxer," the professor screamed, "They enter through the eyes!" 

The two wizards stood motionless, staring at one another. Joxer's grip on the younger man tightened. Suddenly, an inexplicable light poured from Joxer's brown orbs and flooded his roommate's face. 

Milt screamed in the voice of the multitude. Something dark and dangerous flew from his eyes, hovering stunned in the air. The consciousness of Miller, the eighth son of a wizard, finding itself alone in his body for the first time in a while, decided it needed a little break to regroup. The young man's body apparently agreed, and when Joxer released his grip, it collapsed quietly in a heap on the ground. 

Joxer turned in time to see the dark mass heading towards Hellena, who had Gabrielle by the hair and was trying to pull her head up so her eyes met Theirs. "We'll take her instead," They threatened, "Although she isn't nearly strong enough. But before she dies, we'll have you, too." All of Them were inside Hellena, and They were angry. Gabrielle was fighting hard. 

"She's of no use to you," Porticullis protested, as Joxer moved slowly forward, "She's not a witch." 

"Yeah," Joxer agreed, not sure exactly what his headmaster meant, but willing to go along. 

The voices laughed, a sick and evil sound. "She has the blood, she will serve Our purposes. Her weakness will be Our strength, for she is your weakness, isn't she? And she will die if you won't come to Us, or else she'll die bringing you to Us." 

The staff in Joxer's hand moved like lightning, striking Hellena's arm with tremendous power. A bone cracked, and the dark girl involuntarily released the blonde hair she held so tightly. Joxer reached out and pulled the bard to his chest, both of them facing the occupied witch, his arm wrapped possessively around Gabrielle's shoulders. They glared at the two from Hellena's eyes, dark and angry and dangerous. Together, the new witch and the wizard stared back. 

This time, there was no scream. The several witnesses couldn't really agree on a story. Some said the light that had overwhelmed Them when they held Milt had poured from four eyes, two brown and two green. Others said that They just poured in a silent dark cloud out of Hellena's eyes and briefly enveloped the pair before simply disappearing. All Xena saw was her two friends collapse together, Joxer still holding Gabrielle tightly, while Hellena slumped, clutching her broken arm and whimpering. Milt regained consciousness, and seeing her in distress, crawled over to comfort the girl. Carefully avoiding her fracture, he pulled her onto his lap and stroked her hair. 

A sharp word from Mother Wigglewort sent the uninjured back to tending the other battle scarred witches and wizards. Xena and the old witch moved to the unconscious couple, while Porticullis and his son went to Hellena and Milt. 

The older woman touched the fallen pair, and her gasp drew the other's attention. Xena dropped to her knees beside the witch. "What?" she demanded, fear in her voice. 

Wide-eyed, Mirabelle Wigglewort looked at her son and his father. "They've bonded!" 

The headmaster strode over. "Impossible." 

Seeing the mystified and frightened expression the Warrior Princess wore, Magruder took pity, and spoke to Xena in a comforting tone. "Witches and wizards only bond after marriage, as far as we know," the professor explained. "After they, well, uhhh..." He flushed deeply. 

His mother blew out her breath. "As told by a ninety-five year old virgin," she huffed. Then she narrowed her eyes at Xena. "They haven't have they?" 

"Not that I know of," the warrioress protested. 

Porticullis stood and dusted off his hands. "Well, they've done it. Bonded, that is. They can share power now, and there are other signs as well that you'll be seeing. Can't imagine how it happened, but he's never done anything else the way it's supposed to be done, why should this be any different?" 

Mother W stroked Gabrielle's hair. "Try to keep them together as much as possible, especially at first. Too much separation could weaken them both until the link firms up." 

Xena's face began to soften, then she began to snicker, finally plopping down to a seated position and laughing full out. "What? Magruder asked, finally. 

"Keep the two of them close together. Gabrielle is just gonna love this!" Xena wiped the tears from her eyes. As she finally calmed, a thoughtful look took over. 

"Then again, maybe she really will." 

The End


End file.
